Art Journal Pages

As some of you already know, I have been journaling for many years. It is only recently, however, that I have decided to add visual or art journaling techniques to my journal. Until recently,I had been separating the two types of journals - keeping one for the more personal , written pages & one book for the visual, art pages. I have decided that I rather like having them all in one book though- so that's what I have been doing. Thanks to the magic of cropping I am able to separate the personal written journal pages from the visual ones. I still use my other notebooks for larger more involved paintings. Some of you may also remember that I am new to painting & that I have taken only a cautious "toe-dip" into the collage aspect of visual journaling. I am woefully inadequate in understanding the requirements of collage, unlike my friend Kathy Zieben who took to journaling like a fish takes to water. She is a mosaic artist though so I can see how this transition is a fun one for her. Have a look at her journal pages and see how great she is!

I have joined two groups recently that have really inspired me & that have made my attempts at visual journaling easier. Both groups are comprised of terrific, amazing, talented women who have no axes to grind & who offer the gifts of help & inspiration. The groups are : Soul Journal & Blissfully Art Journaling. Typically there are daily, weekly or monthly 'prompts' & quotations to spark your creative instincts. I am finding that these groups are very instructive, stimulating, a lot of fun & I have been learing some things that I believe will help me a lot in my art quilting.

This prompt was 'Birds - what's your favorite?'. I cannot begin to name my absolute favorite bird since I have many of them. Since I make full sized felted crows though I decided that I needed to honor my intelligent, beautiful corvid friends.

This prompt for the pages below was 'Miracles, Have you ever experienced any?'. You bet I have! I know that my Guardian angels work over time on me & I am grateful that I have no second thoughts about their reality in my life. Indeed, I have experienced miracles on a very personal basis. This page took on the aspects of the end of a sunset - just over the mountains. I have tried to use a bit of collage in each page that I do since collage is the area that I need to bectome comfortabel with.... or maybe not - but I DO need to try it just to be sure! One of my step mothers used to do collage & my memories of her & her work are what I consider "typical" collage. Painstakingly cutting out small images and gluing them onto furnitue, quirky bags etc.

I really HAVE been continuing with TAW- and I am hoping that I will post about the next chapter tomorrow....I know, I know, I have said that before haven't I ???? Enjoy a miracle today!

A New Chop & New Card Experiments

I think that I am developing a chop fixation. I love them. I had this one made by a carver in China that I found through EBay under the seller's name "asiatrip". It took some back and forth - and finding a suitable stone to hold the amount I wanted but it was made and I love it ! When DH saw it he thought that the "Om" sign was "30" and when I told him what it was he said that he did not think people would understand. I replied that those who needed to understand would! Hummmm - now the question is what do YOU think. Was he right?

I took a book out of the library that I am going to have to get. It is called Ultimate Cardmaking
by Sarah Beaman. I had to try one of her amazingly simple but oh! so fun cards. I added the quip about not letting anyone move your cheese because my boss at work always says that when we get a bit 'tetchy' about continual changes in forms! I plan to work on some refine ments to this card - to make it more of my own.

I also have been making some more gift tags (with ATC card stock) from the Gesso challenge. This is one that I have made raking the gesso with a comb to give it a 3D effect. A friend suggested using Golden absorbent ground as it taks color better and so I am going to have to try some of that - and soon I think !

Hope eveyone is having a happy, playful, de-light-ful Saturday !

Working My Way - Through The Artist's Way

My 'sister', Lauren, gave this wonderful book by Julia Cameron to me some time ago. Lauren has always been my biggest fan & my cheerleader - and nothing is sacred between us! The book has been a start and stop kind of process for me. I start & stop & start & stop & then start again. I have made the "morning pages" a routine - although, since I am not much of a morning person, the morning pages are often written in the evening. This practice and my latest infatuation with fountain pens has been a fine combination. This is a great book and I am okay with working my way through it slowly - there is so much in the book that is slow grist for the mental mill. I love reading the quotes that are included on every page - that's a favorite part of the book for me. I love quotes anyway - always have. I remember - as a young adult, using my beloved Mont Blanc fountain pen to take excepts out of books and transpose them into a quote journal. That journal, unfortunately, has not made the journey with me. Another loss of "childhood"!..... but mostly I miss that darn pen! Just as I am a proponent of the "slow cloth" philosophy, I am also a proponent of having a book that is worth savoring slowly. Unlocking some more creativity is a fine thing. I love the process.

Yesterday I did nothing that was particularly worthy of photos. How much interest would there be,I wonder, if I posted photos of laundry & chasing dust bunnies?! That took up a large part of my day - along with making dinner of grilled chicken with home made pork fried rice that took longer to make that I wanted but tasted good none-the-less! I did manage to finish my first fingerless glove and started the second. I love wearing these indoors when the weather gets cold. We try to keep the heat as low as possible but my hands are perpetually cold no matter what the temperature seems to be- so these mitts help a lot! I am anxiously searching for a good supplier of more Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk yarn. This stuff is like heaven to work with - the softest thing I have ever felt - better than cashmere IMHO .. problem is that it seems to be getting dis-continued. Foolish -- it's just too good! I also wrote a bit today and plotted how best to box some things to send off to Houston. I want my Journal to ship flat --- and it will! This really has been a year filled with blessings for me - of the artistic kind. Judges Award & Best of Class at the County Fair - for my first entries in the sections. Three pieces headed to Houston in a year that I get to be there. I am still pinching myself! I thank my angels everyday for guiding me in good directions. Happy mid-week everyone. Hope you are doing something creative today!